Soldering-machine.



No. 640,136. vPatented nee. 26, |899.

R. D.` HUME.

SULDEBING MACHINE.

' (Application med Apr. s, 1399.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

Patented Dec. 26. |899.

R. D. HUME.

SDLDERING MACHINE.

(Application led Apr. 8, 1899.) 4(Nu Model.) 2 Sheets8heet 2.

v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT D. HUME, OF GOLD BEACH, CALIFORNIA.

SOLDERING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 640,136, dated December26, 1899.

Application filed April 8, 1899. Serial No. 712,322. (lio model.) i

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT D. HUME, a citizen of the United States,residing at Gold Beach, in the county of Curry and State of California,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Soldering-Machines,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the manufacture of sheet-'metal ware, and moreparticularly to machines for soldering the side seams of' such ware. lThe object of my invention is to furnish a machine for solderinglocksea-ms entirely from the outside and in a complete and thoroughmanner, and thus to avoidthe objections that are sometimes made toinside soldering.A

The mechanical structure in which I have embodied my invention isadapted for use in many kinds of can-making machines or in connectionwith them; but as a matter of convenience in description andillustration I have shown it asapplied to such a can-machine as isshown, for instance, in Letters Patent N o. 576,120, granted to meFebruary 2, 1897.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of part of acan-making machine with my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is anelevation of the same from the opposite side. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectionof the canmachine, showing the soldering devices partly in section andpartly in end elevation. Fig. 4 is a top plan. Fig. 5 is a bottom viewof the solder-cutter. Fig. 6 is a modification of the same.

A represents a main frame supposed in this case to support the mechanismof a can-machine.

D is a hollow horn or mandrel which is a support for tubular open-endedcan-bodies, (shown at B B.) These bodies are moved intermittingly orstep by step along the horn by carriers E, which derive a reciprocatingmovement from the side bar O, connected to a driving-shaft, (not shown,)and which reciprocates parallel with the horn. On a standard A of themain frame is a reel A2 for solder-wi re. The solder-wire is fed downthrough a guide l and between two grooved feed-rolls 2 and 3, which areplaced so closely together as to partially flatten the solder-wire tocause it to melt quickly. The shafts 4 and 5 ofthese rolls carry theintermeshing gears 6 and 7, while the shaft 4 also carries aratchetwheel 8. The ratchet and gears are operated by a lever 9 and pawll0, the lever carrying the pawl and being loose on the same shaft 4. Thefree end of the lever has a slot-and-pin connection at Il with the sidebar C. After passing between the rolls the solder-wire eX- tends througha guide-hole 12 in a die-plate 13, in connect-ion with which operatesthe solder-cutter 14. This knife is pivoted on the lower surface of thedie-plate, Fig. 5, and is operated by the side bar O at its forwardstroke (arrow in Fig. l) through the agency of a projection 15 on thelever 9. A stop 16 limits the movement of the cutter, and a spring 17restores it to normal position at the rear stroke of the side bar. Thecutter shears or severs the wire at the lower surface of the die-plate,and the severed piece falls.

wardly-converging walls, Fig. 3, in order to guide the severed piece tothe soldering-bar F, which is situated directly beneath the slot 18.This bar has an upper concave surface to approximately fit the surfaceof the can and is held loosely in standards 2O 21, so as to be movableup and down, in which move'- ment it is guided by transverse pins 23.This Beneath the solder-cutter the horn is slotted, as shown at 1S, theslot having downbar is for applying solder to the outside of the side`seam by contact therewith. A second stationary bar H sweats the solderinto the seam, there being no excess of solder, as where a tank is used,but only enough supplied for a single seam. The concave bar forms areservoir for the single piece of solder melted instantaneously by theheated iron and taken up by the can in surface contact. The forward endof the soldering-iron F is raised into contact with the can -seam at theforward stroke of the side bar C. For this purpose the side bar isprovided with an offset 24. A rock-shaft 25 is journaled transversely inthe main frame beneath the horn, which carries a cam 26. A lug 27, xedto the shaft, Fig. 3, carries an adjustable screw-support 28, upon whichrests a stud 29, secured to the bar F.

This stud is placed somewhat nearer the end of the bar which receivesthe solder than its other end, Fig. 2.

At the commencement of the forward stroke of the side bar the end of cam26 is resting IOO . through the back stroke.

against the normal edge of the side bar in advance of offset 24. It isheld there by the weight of the soldering-iron F, whose forward end hasdropped slightly from the horizontal. The movement of iron F is the sameas if it were pivoted in standard 21, which it might actually be, as amatter of fact. At the end of the preceding forward stroke a piece ofsolder was cut and dropped near the forward end of the iron F, whichsolder during the back stroke was melted and now lies in a little puddleon the edge of the iron. During the said preceding stroke the canbody Bwas brought over the iron F, came to rest near its rear end, andremained at rest During the first part of the present forward strokethis canbody could take no solder on account of the depression of theforward end of iron F, and hence could scoop no solder into its inside.When the forward end of the can-body has passed the pool of solder, theoffset 24 strikes cam 26, the connections 27 2S lift the forward end ofiron F into contact with the moving can B, which rubs along its surface,taking up the solder, such can being in the position of Figs. l and 2.By the same forward stroke can B is carried over and in contact with thestationary iron II, which sweats the solder thoroughly into the seam.This iron I-I is stationary in action, but is adjustable for varyingthicknesses of sheet metal by means of adjusting-screws 30. It is heldin the standards 20 22 and guided in adjustment by pins 3l. vWhen thecan B has passed over the passage 1S, the next piece of solder is cutand falls upon the iron. The working faces of the irons, which are shownas concave for round cans, may be fiat when soldering square cans, theintention being to have them conform to the shape of the cans.

On the back stroke of the side bar (contrary to the arrows) the camremains stationary, the offset 24 releases the cam 26, and the weight ofthe iron F restores the said cam to position against the normal edge ofthe side bar, and the solder-wire is fed between the rolls andflattened, but not cut.

Both soldering-irons are heated by outside gas-pipes I I, which areshown as supported by the brackets 20, 2l, and 22. One of thesegas-pipes extends along each side of the two irons and parallel withthem, and both pipes are provided with burner-orifices in the sides nextto the irons. J represents the gas-supply pipe which furnishes gas toboth pipes I I. By this construction the seam is thoroughly soldered,and all objections arising from inside soldering are avoided,

ln Fig. 6 is shown a slight modiiication, which consists in omitting thespring 17 and operating the solder-cutter positively in both directionsby two lugs l5 on the lever 9.

My soldering attachment can be used with other types of can-machines oras a separate apparatus. I do not therefore limit myself to the exactconstruction herein described and shown, as I desire to avail myself ofsuch modifications and equivalents as fall properly within the spirit ofmy invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-g l. The combination withcan-body-supporting means and with means for propelling such bodiesalong with their side seams horizontal, of a soldering-iron below saidsupporting means, means for heating said iron, means for deliveringsolder to the upper edge of said iron, and means for moving the saidiron bodily into contact with the can-body.

2. The combination with a support for canbodies and with means formoving said bodies with their side seams horizontal, of a soldering-barbeneath said support, a solder-supplying device above said support, anda passage for delivering solder from the supplying device to the edge ofthe soldering-iron.

3. The combination with can-body-support.- ing means, of avertically-movable solderingiron below said supporting means, means fordelivering solder to its edge, means for lifting said iron bodily intocontact with the canbody,and means for propelling said can-bodies alongwith their side seams horizontal.

4. The combination with a horn or mandrel forming a support forcan-bodies, and provided with upper and lower slots in line, of asoldering-bar beneath and in line with said slots and a solderdeliveringdevice above and in line with said slots.

5. The combination with a hollow horn or mandrel forming a support forcan-bodies, and provided with upper and lower slots in line, ofdownwardly-converginginterior walls forming in connection with saidslots, a guidepassage, a soldering-bar beneath and in line with saidpassage, and a solder-delivering device above and in line with saidpassage.

6. The combination with can-body-supporting means, of a soldering-ironbelow said supporting means, means for delivering solder to the upperedge of said iron, means for moving said iron into contact with thecan-body, a stationary iron beyond and in line with said movable iron,means for heating both irons, and means for moving the can-body with itsside seam horizontal along and in contact with both irons.

7. An outside soldering device for the side seams of sheetmetal ware,comprising, a straight-edged soldering -bar movably supported, means forgiving a pivotal movement to said bar, so as to raise one end of itsedge into contact with the side seam, means for supplying solder to saidedge and means for heating said iron.

8. An outside soldering device for the side seams of sheet-metal ware,comprising, a soldering-iron having its edge shaped to correspond withthe surface of the can-body, and supported so as to be movable upwardlytoward the side seam and downwardly from the side seam, means for somoving it, a second IIO and stationary soldering-iron adjustablysupported in line with the movable iron, means for delivering soldertothe upper edge of the movable iron and means for heating both irons.

9. In a soldering-machine a horn or mandrel forming a support forcan-bodies, and having a vertical guide-passage, in combination with asolder-feeding device and a solder-cutting device above said horn, and asoldering-iron below said horn, whereby the solder is cut and fallsdirectly through said passage upon said iron.

10. In asoldering-machine the combination with a horn or mandrel, andmeans for propelling can-bodies along the same, of a soldering-ironmovable toward and from said horn, a reciprocating side bar andconnections from said side bar to the said iron for giving it themovement referred to.

Il. In asoldering-maehine the combination with a horizontal horn ormandrel, of a soldering-bar beneath the horn having one end normallydepressed relatively to the horn, means for propelling can-bodies alongthe horn, means for lifting the depressed end of ,Y

the soldering-iron into contact with the canbody, means for deliveringsolder to the edge of said iron', and means for heating the iron.

12. In a soldering-machine the combination with a horn and with areciprocating side bar lhaving an offset, of a rock-shaft carrying a

